Electronic motors and generators are well known in the art and have been put to use in a variety of applications. One application is the handling of air. In these circumstances an electric motor is coupled with a fan to create a flow or vacuum as necessary. Often, the fan is used to provide cooling air to the motor. In these instances, a fan mounted on a shaft driven by the motor draws air into a fan shroud to compress or pressurize the air. The pressurized air is released into the motor housing via one or more ports which direct the air across the motor windings to draw heat into the flow and exhaust it from the motor housing.
The motor includes several components including field windings that surround a centrally located shaft, which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings. A commutator is mounted on the shaft and placed in electrical contact with a power supply by a pair of opposed brushes contacting the commutator. In most motors found in the industry, the motor's components are supported on a skeletal frame, which is often made of metal to provide adequate support. Recently, non-metal molded motor frames and housings have been used to reduce the weight of the motor and reduce the leakage prevalent in skeletal designs. In either case, the commutator brushes must be supported by the motor frame. In skeletal frames, a shelf is provided adjacent the commutator with the brush supported thereon. A U-shaped clip is placed over the brush and fastened to the shelf, by screws, to secure the brush next to the commutator. In the non-metal frames, tube-like fittings are provided to support the brushes. These fittings add complexity to the molding of the motor components and often require the use of mandrels or sacrificial molding techniques. While it is desirable to use molded products in the construction of motor-fan assemblies to reduce leakage and improve efficiency, the additional complexity of molding the brush fittings reduces the ability of such devices to remain cost effective. Additionally, these fittings are closed off from the cooling air stream reducing the heat transfer rate at the brushes. The reduced heat transfer at the brushes, thus, reduces the efficiency of the motor. Therefore, there is a need for a motor-fan unit that addresses at least one of these deficiencies in the art.